The present invention relates generally to portable protective car covers and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly provides an elongated, flexible car cover which is adjustably secured at its rear end to an interior surface of the car trunk, and may be conveniently stored in a folded orientation therein and rapidly unfolded and removably secured at its front end to the front end of the car to thereby cover and protect essentially the entire upper side surface portion of the car.
Flexible car covers have become very popular automotive accessories and are used to protect a parked car's finish from deterioration caused by harsh sunlight, dust, snow, rain, tree sap, bird droppings and the like. Car covers of this type are typically available in a wide variety of shapes and configurations ranging from covers which drape the entire car to partial covers which extend only over the most vulnerable top section of the car (i.e., the hood, roof, windshields and trunk deck).
Perhaps the most common variety of car covers are those which may be folded and carried in the trunk and then removed from the trunk, appropriately draped over the car and secured thereto by appropriate tie-down means. While conceptually simple, and quite effective from a car finish--protecting standpoint, conventional car covers of this general type have several well-known limitations and disadvantages.
For example, they can be rather awkward and difficult, and thus fairly time-consuming, for a single person to install and remove. Additionally, unless the cover is custom designed to precisely fit the contour of the particular car, the cover is often considerably oversized and tends to billow and flap in a stiff breeze despite the use of tie-down straps or the like. Moreover, car covers of this type, when in place over the car exterior, may be very easily and rapidly stolen.
One proposed solution to these problems has been to store the flexible cover on a wind-up roll, of one sort or another, which is externally secured to the front or rear end of the car. From its rolled-up, stored position the flexible car cover can simply be unrolled toward the opposite end of the car and operatively secured over the car. Representative examples of this "roll-up" external cover scheme may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,918,423 to Persinger; German patent 2,362,626 to Bergor; U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,102 to Lucas; U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,053 to Hrytzak et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,581 to Guma; U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,421 to Ross et al. A somewhat similar external cover storage concept may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,644 to Song, which discloses a framed, fold-out car cover housed in an external storage container secured to the rear bumper.
While these conventional approaches are designed to facilitate the more rapid and easier covering and uncovering of the parked car, they clearly build in other problems, limitations and disadvantages. For example, the external mounting of a relatively large cover storage container on the front bumper, the rear bumper, or the trunk lid does little to enhance the overall appearance of the car. Moreover, the addition of a roller structure or other storage container adds to the cost and complexity of the cover system and requires special mounting hardware. Further, since the cover system is always positioned on the exterior of the car, the possibility of theft is further increased.
A modified version of this "roll-up" cover storage scheme is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,298 to Yong O. The flexible car cover in Yong O is stored within a roller housing secured within the trunk, the cover passing upwardly through the gap between the front edge of the trunk lid and the body of the car. In addition to the added expense of the roller structure, its housing, and the necessary mounting hardware, this car cover system undesirably leaves the entire rear end of the car exposed to the elements.
Another variation on this "roll-up" storage theme may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,711 to Rabbit in which the flexible car cover is stored on a double roller structure secured to the interior trunk hinges by elastic shock cords. When the cover is rolled onto the front storage roller both rollers may be stored in the trunk. This cover device, like the other discussed above, entails the additional expense of providing the roller structures and the special mounting hardware.
Moreover, like most of the conventional cover structures discussed herein, its flexible sheet, when in its operative position covers the external trunk lock typically positioned in the center of the downturned rear end of the trunk lid. It is thus difficult to externally unlock the trunk without at least partially loosening the operatively positioned flexible cover.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide flexible protective car cover apparatus which eliminates or minimizes above-mentioned and other problems, limitations and disadvantages typically associated with conventional flexible car cover systems.